The Darkness Within
by gryfon-spanish-werewolf
Summary: Elsa is blacking out and losing control of her powers. Anna is helpless to stop it.
1. Fear

Anna's asleep. Good. Elsa quietly closed her sister's door and walked back to her own room. It was night, but the hallway wasn't dark. Candles hung in their sconces and bobbed light across the floor and walls. Elsa inhaled the soft scent of night and gave the barest hint of a smile, lips curling just so at the edges. The day had been long, filled with the usual chores of a queen, but Elsa always made time to make sure Anna was alright. They hadn't gotten to see each other at all that day, but Anna knew that Elsa's door would never be shut to her now. Anna must have been tired indeed to go to bed before herself.

Arriving at her door, she twisted the latch and pushed forward. The room was dark as pitch, but Elsa didn't mind. She knew the place by heart, and she would, having spent most of her life in here. Elsa slipped out of her formal day dress while making a soft night gown of ice at the same time. Walking around her dark room, she placed her crown on her personal writing desk. Carefully undoing her tight bun, Elsa let her soft platinum blonde hair spill over her left shoulder. Finally ready for bed, Elsa hesitated. All was going well. Maybe tonight, it wouldn't-

Dark clouds began to form in her mind, like smudges, making her vision blur.

"No," she whispered, frightened, clutching her head. "Not again, n-not again…" But it was too late. The darkness enveloped her and she slipped to floor without a sound.

"Elsa?"

"Elsa!"

Anna's voice filled her ears, penetrating the darkness in her mind. Elsa groaned, feeling soft snowflakes land on her nose as she did, but did not open her eyes.

"Oh thank the gods, Elsa! Please say something, anything!" Elsa opened her eyes a fraction, afraid of what she would see. Anna was bent over her, light blue eyes full of worry and fear. The room was still dark, but if Anna was here…

"Elsa, please," Anna looked close to tears. Elsa pressed her hand to her head and tried to gather herself. She was lying on the floor, her covers tangled all around her. I must have grabbed it when I fell, she thought. At her small movement, Anna gasped in joy and yanked her up to her feet. Elsa, still dizzy, was comforted by the warmth of her sister's fierce hug.

"Anna. Whuh-? Why are you here?," she managed.

"I came to get you because no one had seen you yet, and when I got to your door…" she trailed off. Confused, Elsa looked around her room. She gasped and pushed away from Anna. Icicles stabbed and grew out of the walls and snow rose in large mounds on the floor. Despite the fact that it was almost midday, Elsa was shocked to find that the reason her room was still dark was because the large triangular window had completely frozen over. Shaking, Elsa's gaze locked onto her hands. They were frozen, turned blue as Anna's had… as Anna's…

Snow began falling from the ceiling, swirling faster and faster as Elsa's anxiety overwhelmed her. Anna, seeing her sister's fear, covered Elsa's hands with her own, blocking her view.

"I'm right here for you, Elsa." Keeping one hand firmly over Elsa's, Anna reached with her free hand and cupped her sister's cheek. She drew Elsa in closer and rested their foreheads together. Elsa blinked and came back to herself. Exhaling heavily, Elsa waved her linked hands in a circling motion and banished all the snow and ice. Sunlight filtered into the room and illuminated the sisters. Still pressed together, Elsa sank gratefully onto her bed. Anna, not the best at being patient grabbed Elsa's shoulders.

"What happened? I've never seen you lose control this badly. Not since, well, when Hans told you I was dead," she rushed, knowing it was a sore subject. Elsa's eyebrows twitched in annoyance. She hadn't just lost control then, she'd lost herself. Told Anna was dead, at Elsa's own hand, had broken her soul. Then when Anna froze herself to save her, it was almost too much for Elsa to bear. To have her hopes raised, then shattered again in a moment.

Elsa shook her head. "It was nothing. Just a bad dream or something." Her excuse was weak and she knew it.

"Elsa, no more lies, no more being shut out," Anna's expression softened. "I know you want to protect me, but I love you, and want to protect you too." Hands still wrapped together, Elsa marveled at Anna's warmth. Her own body was always cold, but Anna was like the sun. She radiated fun and excitement, while Elsa was always collected and poised. Except for now.

"I, I don't know exactly. Wait-wait, Anna," seeing her sister's unbelieving face, "It's just that, I'm not sure what's wrong. Sometimes at night, I get dizzy and there's this, this darkness. Last night was the worst it has ever been. I went to check on you, since you'd gone to bed, and when I got back to my room, it just, happened," she finished lamely. There wasn't really much more she could say. Anna listened silently. Then a gorgeous smile broke over her face. Elsa gaped, stunned.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I have the perfect solution! Breakfast!"

Anna swept Elsa onto her feet and dragged her out of the room.

"Wait! I'm not even properly dressed!" Elsa cried despairingly. Anna turned around, stuck her tongue out and pulled down her lower eyelid with a finger, still running.

"That's what you get for waking up late. Now come on!"


	2. Breaking Point

Anna was right, breakfast was a very good solution. It was just distracting enough to ease Elsa's mind and get her ready to be Queen for the day. Anna had had plans to go off with Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf, but opted to stay with Elsa.

"You don't need to do that Anna. I'm fine during the day." Anna responded with that look she borrowed from Sven. The, 'you're not fooling anyone', kind of look. Elsa's cheeks colored in embarrassment. She supposed Anna was right. And if she was being honest with herself, she was glad her sister would be around.

In the morning, Elsa met with foreign leaders about trade and management. When other king and queendoms had heard of Elsa's power, they'd been afraid. But their good will towards Elsa and Anna's parents and the defeat of Hans's cruel plans incited them back into business with Arendelle. Personally, Elsa liked the quiet evenings where she could be alone in the library for hours and hours. This is where Anna found her sister after dinner. She could barely see Elsa the parchments were stacked so high, but there was no mistaking the light bouncing off the ice gems in her flowing braid. Anna tiptoed in, not wanting to disturb Elsa's work, but Elsa beat her to it.

"Found me huh?" Elsa chuckled and motioned with her hand. "Come, have a seat by the fire, I'll be with you in a moment." Anna made her way over to the fireplace, dragging a blanket from one of the many regal looking chairs behind her. She spread it over her body and listened to the scratch of feather on paper. Once she heard the clatter of the inkwell and feathers being moved, she turned her gaze from the fire and looked straight at Elsa. Elsa smiled back, but her usual clear diamond eyes were cloudy with weariness. Anna moved over a bit as Elsa joined her under the blanket.

"How are you feeling?" Anna found Elsa's hand under the blanket and gave it a small squeeze. Elsa wrapped her free arm around Anna before answering.

"I'm fine. Just tired." Understatement. Elsa was exhausted, and being all snug and warm by the fire wasn't helping. Elsa rested her head between Anna's neck and shoulder and closed her eyes. Anna ran a hand through her sister's elegant blonde locks and waited. Neither of them might know what was going on, but Anna knew that the first step was to be there for Elsa.

They might have spent thirteen years apart, what with Elsa hiding herself away to protect Anna, but over the years Anna had never been angry with her sister. All she'd ever wanted was to share her love with Elsa. The woman had been beyond beautiful during her coronation. They hadn't spoken in years, and when they were finally forced together, the only thing they talked about was chocolate! And then…

Anna snuggled herself closer to Elsa, suddenly uncomfortable. She'd been trying to forget that scene, but Anna was ashamed that _she_ was the one who made Elsa run away. She'd pushed her too hard, and Elsa had become upset. All was forgiven now, but Anna sometimes thought about that night and how it could have been different.

Lost in her thoughts, it took her some time to realize Elsa was getting colder. Her breath became labored and uneven. Each exhalation was filled with little snowflakes. Elsa started mumbling, nothing coherent, just sound. Anna was transfixed, unsure of what to do. The temperature was dropping fast and the fire was guttering out.

"Elsa?"

Anna moved out from under the blanket and wrapped it more firmly around Elsa. She was shivering now, but she couldn't leave Elsa alone. Elsa's unconscious form grasped weakly at the blanket, which was becoming heavily frosted. Ice began to form on the floor around her while Anna tried to find a way to stop the cold.

"Wake up, Elsa! Please, you have to wake up!" Anna bent down and picked her up, one arm beneath her back and the other beneath her thighs. The ice on the floor made it almost impossible to walk, but Anna managed to leave the library and run down the hall to their bedrooms. Without anyone saying so, she knew that if any of the servants saw what was happening, they'd panic. Who knows what they might do to Elsa, who had only barely gained their trust back after she'd returned from her self-enforced exile and set the climate back to normal.

Anna gulped down air and ran faster, not towards Elsa's, but her own room. Her fingers were freezing, but still she held tight to Elsa's body, keeping up a steady stream of encouragement.

"Hey, Elsa, I know this is weird right now, but you've got to wake up. It's the only way I know. I don't have powers like you, so you have to help me out here!"

Elsa did nothing to indicate she'd heard. Her brows were knitted, in fear or in pain, Anna didn't know, but she didn't look like the majestic or serene queen of earlier. In fact, for the first time, Elsa looked cold.

Upon reaching her bedroom, Anna eased open the door and tried to place Elsa gently on the bed. The frost was starting to cling to Anna's clothes.

"Anna…"

Anna's heart skipped a beat. She looked down, not sure she'd heard. Elsa was calling her name.

"Anna. Please no, I'm so sorry. Please no."

"It's alright Elsa, I'm right here."

Elsa, still asleep, started struggling against Anna.

"No, wait! Stop! Ouch! Elsa," Anna cried. She couldn't hold on, and it was getting worse. Elsa's head suddenly snapped up and connected with Anna's jaw, breaking her hold. Both girls fell to the floor, Anna cradling her chin. Elsa's breathing was quick and shallow and as Anna watched, icicles started forming around her, almost protectively. Anna struggled to her feet, completely out of ideas.

"Anna. Please just, just stay away," Elsa breathed faintly. Anna didn't know if Elsa knew, but whatever Elsa was seeing wasn't real. She was trapped in her own nightmare.

"Stay away Anna," Elsa's voice rose in volume while her form began to shiver on the floor. "You're not safe. I-I'm not safe."

"Elsa, it's not real! Wake up!" Anna lunged at her sister, trying anything to make her come back to reality. The icicles held her back and scratched her arms, but Anna didn't care.

Suddenly, Elsa stilled.

Beads of sweat rolled down her face and neck, only to freeze solid and drop to the ground. Anna, unsure, reached out to touch Elsa's face.

In an instant, a solid wall of ice blocked her hand and cocooned Elsa. Frantic, Anna started beating on the ice with her fists.

"Elsa! Elsa!" Each time the name was said, it was punctuated by a dull thwack. Each time, Anna's hands came away raw and bruised.

She couldn't scream, that would only bring the castle's servants upon them. But Anna was about to lose it. Her only saving grace was the realization that Elsa was still alive. Although the view was distorted by ice, Anna could see her sister's breath fog before her face.

Tears ran down Anna's face as racking sobs crashed through her chest. Reeling, her eyes alighted on the object nearest to her and she grabbed first a hairbrush, then a nail file, anything, to crack or damage the ice. When nothing succeeded, Anna finally fell to her knees before the ice dome and was silent, her body trembling in fear and anger.

And that was when she remembered the pick.

Kristoff had given it to her as a joke, saying if she needed, he'd always be her snow anchor. While at the time it was endearing, Anna suddenly saw it as a gift of more value than all the stars in the sky.

Throwing herself up, she flew to the dresser next to her bed, ripping open the top drawer with such ferocity the wood cracked. Anna grabbed the pick, wheeling around to begin her assault anew on the ice. Desperate, Anna hacked away at the dome, sending chips and splinters of clear ice flying in every direction. Her white knuckled grip on the pick did not once weaken, sending ever more punishing blows. All the loneliness, all her love for her sister over the years and the fear of losing her now when they were finally together made it's way into each strike. Such was her rage that she did not stop until a shard of ice clipped her face and drew blood.

Breathing heavily, Anna allowed herself a small smile.

"Not… so tough… are you? Stupid… ice-"

Anna stopped, stunned. The pick fell from her grasp and it's small thud went unnoticed by the girl.

The ice was not smashed. Or maybe it had been, but it was closing up. _The ice was healing itself_. Anna, mesmerized, blood frozen in her veins as whatever damage she had done slowly faded away. Elsa was no more than a dark smudge inside, a little white blob the only identifying feature of her head.

Broken, Anna whimpered as she collapsed next the shell of ice. With the last of her strength, she curled up as close to Elsa's body as the ice would allow. Exhaustion finally overcame her and sleep rolled her eyes shut, but not before one more heart-rending plea escaped her lips and lost itself in the darkness of the night.

"Elsa…"


	3. Alone With the Beast

The room slowly eased itself back into focus. Morning light brightened and softened it's colors. For a fleeting moment, she thought she was in her room lying on the floor, imagining she'd simply slipped out of bed during the night. It would, after all, explain why her shoulders and back creaked with discomfort.

The moment was shattered when she saw the disheveled wreck that was Anna laying not two feet away from her, face creased in misery. Fumbling a bit Elsa shot to her feet, only to stumble and collapse as waves of nausea broke over her body. Head spinning, Elsa carefully made her way over to Anna, trying to rouse her with gentle caresses.

"Anna? Are you alright? What's going on?" Not getting any response, the queen looked up from her sister. Why was she in Anna's room? Her heart raced, suddenly realizing she didn't know how she had gotten here. Biting back a small bit of panic, Elsa went back to try and wake Anna.

The girl was lying on her side, arms pressed to her chest like it hurt, knees tucked to her stomach as if she were expecting a blow. Her hair was a mess, stringy and slick with sweat, webbing over her eyes and cheeks. Anna looked beaten, defeated even. Had she done this? As Elsa's confusion mounted she took Anna's claw-like hands and pressed them to her heart, hoping that through sheer force of will she could make her sister come back to her.

Whether it was her cold hand or the small movement, Anna's eyes snapped open, but they were wild with panic. Anna started batting Elsa's hands away, clearly under some illusion she was in danger.

"Anna! Please stop! It's me, your sister! I'm Elsa!" Elsa grabbed her sister's face and locked eyes with her.

"It's Elsa…" she breathed. Anna's struggling stopped. For a second, the sister's eyes matched not just in color, but in fear, pain, and relief. Then Anna's head fell onto Elsa's chest as she started to sob uncontrollably. Taken aback, Elsa murmured words of nothingness and patted Anna's back.

When the hiccups turned into mildly heavy breathing, Elsa gently pushed back on Anna's shoulders so she could see her face. She gasped, then ran her thumb across Anna's cheek, checking what her eyes refused to believe. Anna, confused, pressed her own finger against her face and looked at it. Blood.

The whole night came crashing back down on her and Anna raked the room with her eyes. There was no ice, no wetness of any kind. No proof that the terror of before had ever happened. And then Elsa saw her hands.

"Anna, your hands!" Anna looked down and stared. The sides and heels of her hands were raw and scratched. Underneath that the skin was a blotchy purple. The pain was mild, but Anna knew they'd hurt a lot more later. Stealing a quick glance at Elsa, she was surprised to note tears gathering at the edges of those beautiful diamond eyes.

"Elsa," said Anna gravely, "it's not what you think-"

"WHAT DO I NOT THINK!?" Elsa's outburst shocked Anna. "What do I not know? How did I get here?" Elsa's self-control rested on a needle point. "Anna, please, you're scaring me."

"You really don't remember, do you?" It was barely a whisper, but Elsa flinched as though she'd been branded.

"What do you mean? What don't I remember?" Elsa rose to her feet, fists balled in anger. Anna stood with her, determined. She took a tentative step forward, then spread her arms and embraced Elsa.

Minutes passed and Anna continued to hold Elsa while she told her what had happened the night before. Sometimes, Anna would feel a small tremble from Elsa and would grasp her tighter. Other times, Elsa would make circles on Anna's back when her breathing became hitched with fresh sobs. The night had been shattering, but the sisters held each other close, hoping to keep the little pieces of themselves from falling off.

Elsa closed down the castle that day. Of course, the staff was alarmed, but Elsa was adamant that she needed to be alone and urged them to go home. She didn't care what they thought -maybe they thought she was going to try some dangerous magic or something- as long as the castle belonged to Anna and herself.

Breakfast was a quiet affair, neither girl having the right kind of energy for talk. They sat as close as possible, taking comfort in each other's presence and small touches of assurance. When they washed the dishes together, Anna couldn't take it any more. She just had to see Elsa do something other than gaze off into the distance with that ever so slight frown on her face like she had done all morning.

So when Elsa gave her the last of the dishes, Anna booped her on the nose with a soapy finger. To Elsa's credit, she didn't bat an eyelash. She merely froze the offending bubbles and flicked them back at her sister. Anna was flabbergasted, mouth agape at her sister's remarkable skill. Only then did Elsa raise a perfect eyebrow and let out a small giggle. Anna decided that was plenty.

"Anna, I'm ready."

Anna looked up from the book she was reading. Elsa sat in a high backed chair, hands folded in her lap. Her face was impassive but her eyes betrayed her nervousness. Anna closed the book and walked over to another chair. Picking it up, she placed it directly across from Elsa. After sitting, she motioned for her sister to continue.

Elsa didn't start right away. She exhaled and looked down at her hands. Anna, noticing her hesitation, leaned forward and took Elsa's hands, holding them so that each sisters fingers rested on the others' palms. Then she looked straight into Elsa's eyes and nodded.

"I don't remember much," she began shakily, "I remember resting my head on your shoulder and you holding my hand. I tried to stay awake, tried to make sure I wouldn't blackout and… hurt you," she said, whispering the last confession. "But I felt safer. I had hoped that maybe it wouldn't happen, just because you were there." She frowned, lost in memory. "I was wrong…"

Elsa knew more than she was telling. It was true that she didn't remember actually falling asleep, nor was she aware of what happened with Anna and the ice shell.

But Elsa remembered the nightmare as though she were still there.

At first it was just darkness. Time had no meaning, and Elsa could have walked for seconds or weeks, but she never saw anything but black. Although she didn't know where she was, she also couldn't find a reason to be scared. So she just walked, on and on.

The darkness seemed to warp, and all at once, Elsa found herself inside her ice castle on the North Mountain. The giant purple snowflake on the floor told her she was on the upper level.

She suddenly heard three resounding knocks come from below her. Wanting to investigate, Elsa walked forward, only to find she couldn't move. She tried another direction, but was met with the same strange result. Growing frustrated, she considered using her powers to force something to happen. Flinging her hands forward, she imagined herself letting loose a torrent of snow, hoping to throw herself back with the force.

Nothing happened.

Shocked, Elsa tried again.

Nothing.

No powers.

Before she could process this, she heard voices. They were coming from the stairwell across the room. They sounded high pitched. In fact, they sounded just like…

Elsa gasped as she saw not only Anna, but _herself_ walk into the room. The Elsa in front of her was clearly upset and the other Anna was trying to talk to her.

"I know this," Elsa breathed. "This is when Anna comes to see me about Arendelle. W-wait. That means- No!" Elsa screams. She doesn't want to see this! Doesn't want to watch herself hurt Anna again!

Heart thumping crazily, Elsa looks for a way out. She can't budge, and as the Anna and Elsa in front of her move, her eyes are forced to follow them. Before her, Anna begins to confront Elsa on what is happening in Arendelle. Elsa watches herself, watches her face flick from annoyance to confusion to utter terror.

"Anna…" She's helpless, completely helpless as snow starts falling from the ceiling. It swirls faster and faster, half-blinding Anna and enveloping the other her.

"Anna! Please no, I'm so sorry! Please no!" Elsa's yelling, screaming at Anna, trying to get her attention. Maybe she can stop it, maybe it doesn't have to be the way it was. But Anna keeps walking towards Elsa, oblivious of the fear and suffering radiating from her sister.

"Anna! Please just, just stay away!" Drowning in sorrow, Elsa watches herself turn to the ice and shout her terror. Anna moves closer, but Elsa knows what's coming and makes a desperate plea.

"Stay away Anna! You're not safe!" A whisper, "I-I'm not safe."

But it's too late. Tears streaming down her face, Elsa can only watch in horror as the other Elsa's powers explode in rage, pain, and guilt. Now she sees what she did not before. Anna stumbles and is forced to a knee, grasping her chest in confusion and agony. Elsa squeezes her eyes shut, but cannot close her ears. She hears Kristoff run in, angry at mirror Elsa, angry at _her_. She's hurt Anna again and there is no forgiveness in the ice-man's voice. She's hears her new creation roar, then stomp out of the room.

Only when they are gone does Elsa open her eyes once more.

She's somewhere new.

Before her is a crystal of startling beauty. Roughly cut, it shone in the dim light of the room. Elsa couldn't move her head or her arms, but she sensed she was sitting down.

Suddenly, an all consuming rage engulfed her and she slammed her fist down on the table, rattling the crystal. Anger, hate, vengeance, all bubbling inside her, both terrifying and exhilarating all at once. Elsa looked down at her hand and was shocked to find it clawed and shadowed with a single gold band on the middle finger. She stood up swiftly, throwing back her head and bellowing like an animal, snarling and baring her teeth at the ceiling above. Her eyes once again locked on the crystal. Elsa's breath caught in her throat.

She was looking at herself, her _true_ self, rather than the shadowy form she was in this hellish place. She was curled on her side, beads of sweat rolling down her face and hands, breathing heavily. Her hands clawed feebly at her chest, like it was on fire. A coughing fit struck her and Elsa felt herself cough in response. Clutching her chest, she looked down to see ice forming across her torso. She shrieked in fear and clapped her claws together. Light vanished. Sound vanished.

Elsa was alone, afraid, and in the dark.


	4. Dark Magic

The grandfather clock's pendulum rocked slowly back and forth. It's rhythmic tocking the only sound and only proof that time was passing. For the sisters in the room, the world could have ended; the tide could have crashed through the breakers and drowned their subjects; an enemy could have laid waste to the castle and pillaged the city. As long as the room was there, as long as the person across from them was there, nothing else mattered.

Elsa hadn't told Anna everything. She told her about what happened in the ice palace, but found herself unable to continue. She didn't understand the images and emotions that had assaulted her. It had been animalistic, brutal, and terrifying. But she didn't want to frighten Anna anymore.

Not Anna, who had damaged herself trying to free Elsa from her strange icy prison. Not Anna, who had cried when Elsa had finally woken up, so relieved and grateful that she couldn't speak.

Anna had her head bowed. The girls were still touching each others' hands lightly, like a reminder that the other sister was there, was real. Try as she might, Elsa's eyes could not keep themselves away, and her gaze dropped to Anna's hands. They were bandaged, white gauze covering her delicate skin from elbow to fingertip. Anna claimed it didn't hurt, but Elsa never missed the way she cradled her hands close to her stomach, afraid to bump them against things. And even though it was her sister's ice that hurt her, the only thing Anna never hesitated to touch was Elsa.

Anna lifted her head.

"Elsa. Thank you." Elsa nods absently. Anna continues.

"I know you're not telling me everything," Elsa flinches and meets Anna's eyes, "but it's okay. Just know that I'm always here for you, Elsa." Tears streamed down the queen's face and she bit her lip to stop herself from breaking down completely. Anna stood and opened her arms. Elsa leaned into her embrace -head resting on Anna's chest- both touched and confused by her understanding and silently cursing her own weakness. With all this power, she could be a demon. Yet she still needed the touch of this girl, this wonderful younger sister, to banish her darkest fears.

Anna spoke into her hair.

"I've been thinking…"

Elsa tried to make a joke, anything to break the tension, but it came out half choked. Anna helped her out.

"A dangerous pastime, I know. But I think I know what we have to do." Elsa's head shot up, nearly clocking Anna on the chin.

"Whoa there, Elsa. You already got me on the other side. I don't need a matching set." It was meant to be funny, but Anna heard Elsa's breath catch and immediately regretted it.

"Oh gods Elsa, I'm sorry! I, I didn't mean anything by it," softer, "It wasn't your fault." Elsa made a little noise, like a half-sob, half-laugh.

"Why can't you just say it was my fault? Wouldn't it be easier?"

Anna frowned, "You want me to lie to you?" Elsa felt a small stab in her heart and fresh tears stung her eyes. Anna threw her hands up into the air.

"Why can't I say anything right!?" Sighing, Anna composed herself. When she finally turned her eyes back, Elsa saw no fear, no hesitation, just resolute calm and affection.

"Elsa, I'm sorry. I love you, no matter what. We are going to get through this, and I know where to start. This is something unnatural, even beyond your powers. There is only one place, one people, that know strange magic better than anyone else. We need to ask the Trolls."

Elsa was silent for a moment. Anna gently raised Elsa's chin with her hand. She did not understand what she saw in those eyes, but Anna knew her sister trusted her.

"After all, look what they've done for us already?" Elsa nodded, then pressed her cheek into the palm of Anna's hand. Anna took her elbow and helped her stand.

"But we need to go right now."

"Why?" Elsa asked, confused at Anna's sudden urgency.

Anna paused, then looked Elsa dead in the eyes. "Elsa. Tell me honestly: how long have you been having these 'episodes'?" Tentative, Elsa confessed about three weeks. "And when do they happen, specifically?"

"At night, though as time went on it came closer and closer to sundown…" Realizing what Anna was getting at, Elsa spun around and looked out the windows. Although she could not see the sun, she could tell by the light it was around midday.

"And that's why we should go, right now. We'll barely make it to the Valley of the Living Rock before sundown as it is."

Elsa, always having to think of these things, reminded Anna, "We're royalty. We can't just go missing for the night, people will notice. I can make my way to Valley, alone, telling the staff I've been called away on urgent business, while you stay here and continue to rule in my stead."

"Absolutely not. Elsa, you are not going alone. You haven't even been to the valley since you were small-"

"Anna!"

"No, Elsa!" Anna shouted. Seeing she was losing, Elsa straightened and took a step back from Anna. She didn't want to do this, but she saw no other choice.

"Princess Anna, as Queen of Arendelle, I command you stay here and preside over the queendom while I am away." Shaking, Elsa turned from her sister, unable to bear the shock and anger written on the her face.

For a moment, Anna cannot speak. Then, she explodes.

"Why, Elsa!? This is crazy, you can't possibly be thinking of leaving me here! There is more going on here, and you're still not telling me! What are you so _afraid of?_"

With that, Elsa breaks, whipping back around to her sister, half-blinded by tears of fury and fear.

"_I WILL NOT HURT YOU AGAIN!_"

Stunned, Anna falls silent, her anger subsiding. "I will _not,_ not again, not ever," Elsa repeats, breathing heavily.

There's silence, then Anna nods and starts towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

Anna stops, hand resting on the door handle.

"I'm going to tell the head advisor that he is in charge tonight. Pack some clothes and meet me by the stables. I'll grab some food from the kitchens. You have one hour."

Anna pushes down on the latch and opens the door. She's almost out when she looks back and sees Elsa's face. Her eyebrows are twitching and her mouth is opening and closing like a fish. She looks like she doesn't know whether or not to get angry, so before Elsa can decide, Anna smiles.

"And don't worry. You won't hurt me. You can't."

Then she closes the door.

Elsa ended up beating Anna to the stables. She was dressed in a long black tunic, pants, and purple cloak, much like the outfit she had worn when she escaped from the coronation ball. When Anna arrived, Elsa was standing next to her horse, Værge, a young red haired stallion with a red and white striped mane, stroking him absently. Elsa heard her come in and turned in greeting. Anna's chosen riding outfit was almost the same as what she had bought from the Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna, with the exception of riding boots instead of winter ones and the lack of furry hat.

"Are you ready?" Anna tightened the saddle on Fri, her black and white horse. Elsa nodded, still quiet. While she was packing food into the saddle bags, Anna had an interesting thought.

"Elsa, have you ever ridden a horse?"

Elsa's sharp bark of laughter dissolved her nervous appearance. "Yes Anna I've ridden on horseback before. Father used to take me out when you had lessons. Those were the best days, hooves drumming the ground and wind whipping through my hair. It just felt like I was finally free, like if I could get far enough away, things would just…" She faltered and coughed, realizing she'd said more than she intended. She'd been smiling, but when she continued, it was gone. "I only wished that I could have done it with you," she said wistfully. Anna walked over and placed a hand on Elsa's forearm. The blonde smiled at the gesture.

"Well now you _can_ ride with me. Mount up, Elsa, we have a long way to go." The sisters climbed up on their horses and walked them onto the cobbles of the courtyard. Anna immediately faced Fri towards the long bridge leading to the village but Elsa called out to her, motioning another way.

"We don't want to frighten the citizens. Seeing both members of their ruling monarch leaving the castle without any kind of fanfare might cause more trouble than we can handle right now. Come with me, I know a different way." Impressed, Anna flicked her reins and followed Elsa. They went around to the opposite side of the castle, where the mountains ran straight into the sea.

"This is the route Father would always take me, to make sure… you never saw me," she said softly. Both girls stopped their horses. To their left was the sea, glittering brightly in the midmorning sun. Gulls flew over the fjord and landed on the massive bows and masts of Arenelle's ships. Sprawled before them was the Stor mountain range. Anna marveled at it's rolling peaks and snow filled crags. She was suddenly struck at how difficult the journey to the North Mountain must have been for Elsa. She couldn't even see it from where they sat, even with the added boost of a horse's height. She stole a quick glance at her sister. If Elsa had cast her mind back to that night and all of what happened, it didn't show.

"We'll have to travel through those hills, then rejoin the main path through the mountains further south," Elsa commented, pointing. "After that…," she fidgeted and her horse sidestepped nervously in response, "you'll have to take over." She didn't like admitting it, but Anna had been right. She couldn't remember the exact route their parents had taken the night she'd hit Anna with her powers. In fact, most of that ride was a blur, the only clear image was little unconscious Anna and Elsa's all consuming fear for her sister's life.

Elsa tossed her head a bit, breaking away from her memories and turned her gaze towards the now grown Anna.

"Shall we?"

Anna beamed and Elsa found herself smiling in return. She gently kicked Værge and took the lead, Anna laughing and bouncing in the stirrups behind her.

When they finally rejoined the main path, they were deep in the mountains. Anna was secretly glad Elsa was ahead of her. She had continually picked out small dangers on the route that Anna would have ignored completely, and would have ended up hurting Fri or herself. The route was also extremely narrow, with no way for the horses to walk side by side. This was likely the main reason they hadn't run into any travelers yet: the path was secluded and hard to navigate, unlike the highway running from the capitol to it's smaller settlements, which was wide and safe.

"From this moment on we should try to keep a lower profile. Put your cloak's hood up and keep your head down. We can't do anything about the horses, so we'll just have to hope they're not recognized." Anna did as she was told, but couldn't help snorting at her sister. How could anyone fail to recognize the queen and the princess? But Elsa's posture changed immediately and Anna was surprised. She'd hunched forward and hid her hair, letting her cloak trail down her back, disguising her nice-looking clothing, while her hands switched from one-handed to the two-handed grip of a man. From a distance, Anna imagined you wouldn't even be able to discern her gender.

She felt a small twinge of sadness for her sister. Elsa had reacted so quickly, changed every part of her appearance to be inconspicuous. _More of Father's teaching._

They continued most of their ride in silence. If they ran into a traveler, Elsa would adjust her course so that Værge was always in between the stranger and Anna. When she protested, Elsa's answer was swift and direct.

"Anna, though you are the princess and I the queen, people are more likely to know of and realize who you are. I'm just trying to make it harder for them to see you." Anna sulked but saw the sense in her sister's words.

Hours passed and the Valley of the Living Rocks came into view. Hot springs under the earth heated the area constantly, making steam drift lazily into the sky all hours of the day. As such, the Valley was nearly always covered in a dense haze, making it an unattractive destination for travelers. This suited the Trolls just fine, not wanting anything along the lines of attention, preferring instead to keep to themselves.

The girls would often have races, seeing who could beat whom to little landmarks along the road. Anna enjoyed the speed but Elsa was always cautionary. That being said, Elsa's riding skills were far beyond Anna's and she won every time. It was during one of these races that Anna felt something was wrong.

Elsa had beaten her for the ninth time in a row. Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing a little staggered from the intensity of the run. Værge was merely panting, making little nickering noises that just _might_ have been laughter. Elsa had turned to Anna, probably to tease her, when her eyes suddenly lost focus and she pressed her fingers to her brow. It was a small thing, but Anna's heart plummeted into her stomach. Elsa, seeing Anna's look of distress, reassured her.

"It's nothing Anna. Just a little winded." But she continued to hold her head in her hand for a few moments. Then without warning, she slumped forward in her saddle, nearly hitting her head on the pommel.

"Elsa!" Anna cried. She kicked Fri forcefully and rushed over to Elsa's side. Elsa remained unmoving, her hood pushed back to reveal her white braid. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she was sweating lightly. Anna put a hand on her shoulder and Elsa rocketed back up like she'd been electrocuted. Værge, startled by the swift movement, bucked, forcing Anna to move back. Elsa would have been thrown off had her hand not already been on the reins. Having recovered slightly, Elsa attempted to calm Værge, but the animal would not hold still.

Anna was staring, not sure how to help, when light caught in her eye, making her blink. She looked for the source, unsuccessful until Værge moved to his left. Elsa's hair fell into the sunlight and lit up, blinding Anna again.

The situation crashed into her like a hammer blow.

"Elsa, the sun!" Elsa turned her head, searching.

The girls were between two cliffs. The sun was dropping rapidly behind one, casting it's shadow along the ground and slowly upwards along the opposite side.

"It's almost sundown," Elsa breathed. As if the words made it true, the shadow of the cliff covered them entirely. Elsa's hair no longer shone, in fact it took on a strange colorless hue. The moment the shadows of the cliff enveloped her head, Elsa sucked air in sharply through her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. Værge was getting increasingly restless, jostling Elsa, so Anna made a split second decision.

Vaulting off Fri, Anna ran over to Værge and patted his nose, making little sounds she hoped were soothing. That taken care of, she crossed to Elsa. Though her face was now covered by her hands, Anna could tell her sister was slipping. Her shoulders twitched and her breath came in gasps.

"Elsa?"

At the sound of her name, Elsa moved her hands away, and Anna bit back a scream. Darkness swirled in her eyes, clouding the diamond blue and turning it a murky gray. Though alarmed, Anna shoved it to the back of her mind. She had to focus if they were going to make it on time.

"Elsa, I'm going to help you off your horse now. Ready? One, two…," On three, Anna pushed Elsa's foot out of the stirrup and gently swung it over the horse's back. Anna continued to explain everything she was doing, taking the tone of a parent speaking to a small child. The last thing she wanted to do was scare Elsa and risk accelerating the process.

"That's it. Now, other foot and… down you come." With Elsa off her horse, Anna turned and whacked Værge in the flank. Værge bolted, heading back towards the castle as he had been trained to do. Anna then threw Elsa's arm over her own shoulder and took the girl's weight against herself.

"Anna? What happened? Where's Værge?" Anna very nearly dropped Elsa when she heard her voice. Elsa seemed to have come back to herself. Her eyes were not completely clear, but she stood up straighter, even resisting help from Anna.

"He was starting to panic after you… um, yeah. So I took you off and sent him back to the castle." Elsa was silent for a moment. Then she rested a hand on Anna's shoulder and spoke.

"Now Fri will have to carry both of us." She met Anna's gaze and held it. Anna tried not to flinch, but the darkness in Elsa's eyes unnerved her. It flexed and moved, almost like it was alive. "We should h-hurry. I don't know how m-much longer-" Elsa screwed her eyes shut again and grit her teeth. The hand on Anna's shoulder gripped her tightly, balling the fabric and pinching the flesh underneath. Elsa was trembling. Anna tugged her towards Fri and helped Elsa mount him. Anna pulled herself up after, sitting behind her sister in the saddle. Elsa leaned back into Anna, and Anna gasped. Elsa was freezing! Even through all of her clothes, Elsa radiated cold like a mid-winter chill.

Anna threw an arm around Elsa's waist and shouted, "Hurry Fri, hurry! Hiyah!" The horse took off, gathering speed as they raced against the sun.

"We're almost there, hold on Elsa!" Anna couldn't see her sister's face, but she felt Elsa nod weakly into her chest.

They'd been riding at full gallop for half an hour. The sun was a liquid gold half circle that seemed to cling to the mountain edge, trying to buy time for the desperate sisters below. Elsa had gotten increasingly colder, to the point where it was starting to sting her skin, but Anna kept on. Fri rode up the last part of the hill, frothing at the mouth. When he crested the hill, Anna pulled back on the reins, stopping him.

Before them lay the home of the Trolls. It had always reminded Anna of a bowl with layers, each circle getting wider the farther it was from the middle.

"Help! Pabbie, are you here? We need to speak with you!" Anna dismounted and slowly helped Elsa out of the saddle. Like the night before, Elsa's breathing had become labored, than increasingly shallow with little snowflakes beginning to fill every breath. Elsa could barely move her legs and her head remained down, her white hair covering any and all parts of her face.

From all around came a great rumbling and stones began to roll into the clearing. When they got closer, they stopped and popped open, revealing the small creatures to be the Trolls they'd come for.

"It's the Princess," one said.

"What's going on, why is she here?" Another one questioned.

There was a hush and the Trolls parted to allow a larger Troll to enter. This one was older and wiser than the rest, the King of the Trolls, affectionately called Pabbie by those who knew him well.

"Princess Anna. Queen Elsa. As much it is an honor, it seems we have have a larger problem at hand. You may lay her here." Anna walked Elsa over to a soft, moss covered stone. Picking the blonde up, Anna placed her as gently as possible onto the stone. As soon as Elsa's body touched it, the moss froze and frost began to spread along the rest of the rock. Anna took Elsa's hand and lost her breath, the bandages doing nothing to shield her from the cold. Frost formed on her hands, but she only squeezed tighter. Though Elsa was barely conscious, Anna wanted her to know she was not alone.

"Anna? Did we… are we here?" Elsa's voice was less than a whisper. Her eyes stared straight ahead, unseeing. The darkness had come back during the ride, swiftly blocking out the blue of her eyes. Now, they were almost black, the barest hint of white fighting at the corners.

On the verge of tears, Anna replied, "Yes, we're here. Pabbie's going to talk with you. He's going to make it right Elsa."

"G-good…" Elsa managed. She breathed rapidly a few more times, then sighed heavily before closing her eyes. Anna squeezed her hand again, but got no response.

"Anna…" The redhead turned her tear filled eyes towards Pabbie. With tremendous force of will, Anna relinquished Elsa's hand and let Pabbie move next to her. Pabbie placed a hand on Elsa's brow and closed his eyes. Anna was taken a little further away by some of the female Trolls, giving her comfort in numbers and presence.

Minutes went by but it felt like days to Anna. When Pabbie finally turned and beckoned her over, it took all of her self control not to run.

"Anna, sit."

She already didn't like where this was going.

"Anna this… this is dark magic. What is happening to your sister is unlike any we have seen in hundreds of years, long before Arendelle was even settled." Pabbie paused to gather his thoughts. Anna took the moment to check on her sister. Elsa huffed, but it was clear breathing was becoming difficult. Her eyes were tightly shut and one arm was draped over her stomach protectively. Sweat ran down her face and neck and her hands kept making fists, then relaxing and repeating the motion.

In that moment, Elsa looked so vulnerable, so unlike the strong, capable sister she was, that Anna began to cry. Pabbie turned to her and took both of her hands in his rough ones.

"Anna, listen to me. You were right to think that this is unnatural. As I said, this is dark magic. Something is invading Elsa's thoughts and dreams. The blackouts your sister has been experiencing will only get worse."

As he spoke, icicles began forcing themselves from the ground. They grew thickly around Elsa, forcing Anna to stand and take steps back. To Anna's dismay, the ice shell began to form. The redhead sobbed openly, clinging to Pabbie's hands, as Elsa's form became blurred and warped by the ice. The Troll King watched Anna's face, watched as Anna realized that there was nothing she could do, watched grief carve lines on a face too young. When he spoke, she was startled by his sincerity.

"This has happened before, hasn't it? Oh Anna, I am so sorry. If it brings even the smallest bit of comfort, know this. Your sister's ice is not trying to shut you out. Rather it is her unconscious effort to protect herself. She does not know what she is doing. Do you understand?"

Anna wasn't sure she did. Pabbie explained.

"She is _fighting_, Anna." The Troll gripped her hands tightly. " She has not forgotten you, even in her darkest hour. She is not just fighting for herself. She is fighting to for _you._"

Fresh tears made their way down Anna's face and she fell to her knees. Her bandaged fingers brushed the ice above Elsa's head, _needing_ to pretend she was touching Elsa herself.

"Elsa… Thank you," she breathed. Then she kissed the ice above Elsa's forehead and was silent for a few moments.

When she looked back to Pabbie, there was a fierce light in her eye.

"What can we do? There has to be some way to stop this from happening to her!" Pabbie, caught off guard by her forcefulness, mumbled something Anna couldn't make out. "You know something, don't you?"

The Troll King nodded slowly, but put up a hand to stop Anna's question.

"It is not something to be done lightly, Anna. Please, allow me to consult with the other Trolls." Anna agreed, adding, "But know this Pabbie: Elsa will not be fighting this battle alone. Not if I can help it."

Pabbie walked towards the edge of the clearing, out of hearing range, calling out names of Trolls, who joined him quickly. They spoke for a few moments with a lot of gesturing and fast talking. Anna waited, but constantly checked on Elsa, hoping for a change. She heard the soft padding of Troll feet and ripped her gaze away from the ice to meet Pabbie's eyes. He suddenly looked older, and Anna was sure that wasn't a good sign.

"Princess Anna. We do know a way to help your sister, but it is very dangerous. There is a chance you may lose your life and there would be nothing we could do to stop it." He cleared his throat before continuing. "Anna, you are a princess. It may not be my place, but I feel I must remind you that, in Elsa's place, you are the last remaining heir to Arendelle's-,"

"It doesn't matter," Anna interrupted. Pabbie blinked, surprised. Anna raised her head and looked him straight in the eyes. "There will be no queendom if Elsa…," _dies_ she thinks, but cannot utter it aloud, fearing if she did it would become truth. Anna inhaled, then continued.

"I will do whatever it takes."

Pabbie nods, sad and proud for the girl at the same time. "Elsa is truly loved," he said. Anna, not knowing how to respond, remained silent.

Pabbie calls the Trolls he was speaking with earlier around him then turns back to Anna.

"The spell we are about to cast has not been used in a very _very_ long time. Though it pains me to say it, we cannot allow you to watch. We Trolls have withheld the secret of our magic for generations, and it is a hard habit to break. Don't worry, Elsa is not in danger of our magic, but we would ask that you not be in the immediate area."

Though slightly put out, Anna agreed with the terms, knowing the Trolls were not being intentionally rude. She got up from the ground and walked to Fri, taking his reins and moving downhill.

She couldn't see, but she did listen. There wasn't much at first, but then the air started to hum. Anna could feel it in her bones. Only later did she understand that it was the sound of Trolls singing. It wasn't any language she knew, but Anna suspected that wasn't just because she hadn't payed attention to her tutor. It was old, before measured time: the body making music with the earth.

A violent crack rent the night air and Anna felt the hairs on her arms stand on end. She looked to the sky and was awed to see it lit up like when she was a child. All the light seemed to be flowing from the top of the hill behind her, but she dared not look. Not yet anyway.

Eventually, a small Troll rolled up to her and tugged on her cloak.

"It's ready Princess." Anna thanked him, then followed him up the hill. Before she got too far, she remembered Fri.

"Go home boy. Find Værge and tell him I'm sorry." She rubbed his nose and let go of his reins. Fri trotted off down the hill, becoming lost in the haze until he was completely out of sight.

Pabbie met her on the top of the hill. She took his hand gratefully and he led her to a dug out area in the middle of the clearing. Elsa's ice shell had been placed in the center. Anna looked at her and felt panic claw at her chest when she couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. Pabbie pulled her up short.

"She is merely resting. The spell works best when the subject is deeply unconscious, so we cast a separate spell for easy sleep.

He let go of her hand, encouraged to see Anna not run, but stand tall with determination, even in the face of the unknown. He spread his hands. As he did so, an image appeared in the air next to the hole. It was about seven feet tall and twenty feet wide.

At first, Anna was terrified. This was a hole in reality. There was something right in front of her that she could not explain, could not comprehend. _And she was expected to _do_ something with it._

"Think of it like a window, Anna. What you are seeing is Elsa's dream."

It was Arendelle. The castle and bridge were on the left, the town on the right. It was like looking at the real place, except…

Anna couldn't quite place it, but something seemed off. Pabbie noticed her confusion and chuckled. "It's because she's taller." And so it was. Everything seemed just a little bit shorter, owing of course to the fact that Elsa was a good three inches taller than Anna.

"So is this what Elsa is seeing right now?"

"No, but it is from her perspective. You'll find her somewhere inside her mind's Arendelle. As to where exactly, I do not know."

Pabbie took her closer to the spell. When they got to the other side, Anna looked back, expecting to see the image reversed. But there was nothing! It's as if the floating picture did not exist at all. Anna could see straight through it; she even waved at a Troll across from where the image should have been and he waved back, mildly confused.

Bewildered, she questioned Pabbie with her eyes and a quick back and forth gesture of her hand.

"This is where we'll be able to observe _you_. When you enter the spell, you'll pop up on this side. We will see what you see and slightly around you. We won't be able to communicate, but we'll be able to make sure you're alright."

"Wait, so, I'm going in _there!?_ How is that _possible?_"

Pabbie just waited patiently, smiling. Anna mentally smacked herself.

"Right… Magic"

"When you are ready, step back to the other side of the window. Then, just step in." Pabbie smiled again but Anna was flabbergasted.

"You just… step in."

Pabbie nodded again.

"Like walking through a doorway?" She asked a little breathlessly.

"Precisely."

Anna took a deep breath and balled her hands into fists. This was it. Anna paused a moment to take in all the Trolls' faces. They all believed in her, otherwise they wouldn't have helped at all.

"Thank you," she said, tears stinging her eyes. The silence was heavy as Anna made her way to the other side of the spell. Before her lay Elsa's Arendelle. Waves lapped at the docks and birds flew through the air.

Vaguely, Anna wondered if it would hurt. But before she could examine the feeling, she closed her eyes and stepped into the spell.


	5. Touch

It didn't hurt.

In fact the only unnerving feeling was a small tugging in her middle as she entered.

Anna opened her eyes and stared. She was in Arendelle. Well, technically, she was in Elsa's dream world Arendelle, but she couldn't tell the difference. She was standing on one of the many docks lining the fjord. The sea created the same shushing calm, the docks creaked at exactly the same pitch, and the billowing of the sails had the exact same _wha-thump_ sound as it did every time Anna had heard it before.

Spinning in a slow circle, Anna took stock of what was around her. Men carried cargo off their respective ships and shoppers walked with baskets full of food to and from vendors. In the main square, people milled around and chatted with each other or hurried about on business. It was sunny and warm, a perfect summer's day.

The window lay directly behind her. Panic shot through her chest as she looked through the portal. The Trolls could be seen, though not heard, and they were dragging a body between them, away from the spell. This wouldn't have worried her half as much if the body they were carrying hadn't been hers. She quickly patted herself down, making sure that she was really there. Perplexed, Anna could only watch as the Trolls positioned the other her as comfortably as possible. Her only reassurance was a Troll turning around to face the spell and giving her a thumbs up. She gave one back hesitantly, with a smile so fake it was almost a grimace.

"What are you doing that for? Are you lost?"

Anna yelped and stumbled back. She would have gone head first into the water had a hand not snagged her own and pulled her to safety.

"Whoa! That was pretty cool, but I wouldn't just jump into the water like that. Papa says there are fish that eat pretty girls like you and me." The hand tugged down and Anna was forced to a knee. The voice whispered in her ear.

"But I think that's just because Papa doesn't know how to swim!" The voice laughed and Anna's heart seized.

"I know you," Anna whispered, more to herself than to the person next to her. Anna slowly turned her head, both elated and afraid of what she might see. There was a little girl next to her, still holding her hand. She cocked her head.

"That's funny. I don't know you? Are you a cousin, or another relative of Mother's?"

Anna was speechless.

The little girl was _Elsa._

But that wasn't possible. This girl could only be six or seven years old. And yet the more she tried to convince herself otherwise, Anna remembered what Elsa looked like, even from when they were small. She looked exactly as she did before she locked herself in her room: wearing a little blue dress with snowflake print and a matching headband that kept her braided white hair out of her face. Her blue eyes sparkled with friendliness and glee and Anna choked back a sob, realizing she hadn't seen Elsa this happy in a long, _long_ time.

"Hey, are you okay?" Elsa's eyes narrowed in worry. _That, on the other hand, was more familiar._ Anna coughed, clearing her throat.

"Um, y-yeah, I'm alright. Thanks for the save back there," she spoke too quickly, the words almost blending together, but Elsa laughed. There was a muffled 'woof' behind her and a large white and black dog came forward, hackles raised.

"Easy Spillah, it's okay," soothed Elsa, rubbing a hand through the dog's thick coat. _Spillah? That's right_, Anna thought. Spillah had been their protective companion whenever the girls went out in the town alone. A large Norwegian Elkhound, Spillah was very intimidating to anyone, but melted like butter at the touch of Elsa or Anna. She'd never allowed strangers near the two princesses, which was probably why Spillah was suspicious right now.

"H-Hi doggy. Nice to meet you." Anna opened her palm for Spillah to sniff. To her amazement, Spillah pressed her whole head into Anna's hand and nuzzled her affectionately.

"Well that's a first! Spillah must like you a lot!"

"Right…," Anna mused. Then it suddenly hit her: _Spillah recognized her scent._ That was the only way Spillah had ever let _anyone_ near either of the girls. Anna wasn't sure if she was happy or disappointed that after thirteen years she still smelled the same.

"Thanks for making sure your dog didn't, you know, attack me or anything."

"No problem. So, who were you with? I mean, people don't just 'thumbs up' the air," the girl asked, miming the indicated motion.

"Oh! Well, uh, you see…," Anna wasn't really sure how to respond.

"Was it your imaginary friend? My sister and I love playing those games!" Elsa clapped with joy. Anna was stunned. The spell behind her was not hidden; it stuck out like ice in the dead of summer.

"You can't see the…," Anna trailed off.

"Aww, he must be shy. Well, tell him that we should play together next time. It was nice talking to you, but I have to go."

Elsa was about to walk off. Not knowing what else to do, Anna grabbed the little girl's arm and turned her around.

"Wait! Did you say sister?"

Confused, Elsa merely nodded. Anna acted on impulse. "Do you think I could meet her? She sounds like a lot of fun." Elsa crossed her arms.

"Why?"

Anna was stuck, but then a brilliant plan formed in her brain.

"Well, it was going to be a surprise, but I was supposed to meet both of you later this evening. I'm visiting your parents for a while and thought it'd fun to hang out with both of you, too!"

The smile that broke over Elsa's face was almost more than Anna could bear.

"Oh wow!" Elsa hopped up and down, not even bothering to hide her excitement. "My sister will be so happy! What do you like to do? What's your favorite color? Do you like to sing? Do you have a favorite book?" Elsa continued to pepper her with questions while taking Anna's hand and leading her towards the town square, Spillah bounding off ahead. The redhead tried to answer all of them, but was left behind by the constant flow. So she just lost herself in the sound of her sister's happy babble.

As they approached the bridge leading to the castle, Anna saw the guards square their shoulders and look in their direction. Too late, she realized how peculiar this would look to them, a strange girl holding hands with the royal's daughter. Maybe the sight of a docile Spillah would be enough to deter them. Her hopes were dashed when a guard stepped forward and stopped them at the entrance.

"Princess Elsa, who is this woman?"

Elsa smiled, replying, "She's a visitor for my parents. She was going to surprise us, but I found her first." Elsa giggled a little, but the guard did not look amused.

"We were not told of any visitors today. Are you sure Your Highness?"

"Yeeesss!," she cried, bouncing slightly.

"Than she will not mind identifying herself," the guard said, smiling smugly at Anna. Her cheeks colored slightly with both embarrassment and anger. She decided to put a little of that into her answer.

"Of course _guardsman_. I am the daughter of the Queen's brother Almar and his wife Majen." Anna was so glad she'd paid attention when her tutor went over their family tree. The soldier raised an eyebrow.

"My girl, the Queen's brother is too old to have children, and you are too young to be their natural born daughter." _Shoot._ The man started reaching for his saber, but Anna took on the air of the highly offended and stopped him in his tracks.

"Well, of course! I'm their _adopted_ daughter. Took me in when I was ten years old. But I don't like mentioning it, I get too many questions."

The guard looked absolutely terrified.

"M'lady, please accept my humblest of apologies. I did not know." The man bowed deeply. "Please, forgive me."

"I have," Anna replied, her nose up in the air, trying her best to looked miffed. Then she grasped Elsa's hand tighter and pulled her down the bridge.

Only when they were a sufficient distance away did both girls erupt in laughter, startling Spillah who barked in confusion.

"Did you see the look on his face!?" Elsa hooted, holding a hand in front of her mouth and another around her stomach. Anna wiped tears of mirth from her eyes and mimicked the voice of the poor guardsman.

"I'm sorry ma'am. Let me carry you to the gates to make up for it." Anna whirled to face Elsa, grabbing her under the arms and placed the girl on top of her shoulders. Elsa squealed with delight and hooked her hands under Anna's chin. Anna ran towards the castle with Elsa yelling, "Faster, _faster_," with each step and Spillah dodging in between Anna's feet, threatening to topple them both.

When they got to the gates, the young blonde leaned down to look Anna in the eyes.

"I never introduced myself. I'm Elsa, though you probably already knew that." She paused. "What did you say your name was again?"

Anna smiled. "Name's Anna."

Elsa gasped, then grinned broadly. "That's the same as my sister!"

After putting Spillah away in her kennel, Elsa took Anna towards to Royal Chambers, intending for Anna to meet the royals. Luckily for Anna, the King and Queen were busy. Good thing too, because if Anna had been forced to speak with them, she had no excuse and would have probably gotten herself permanently banned from the grounds. Young Elsa on the other hand, was not nearly as happy about it.

"Awww… I really wanted to show you to them. Then I could have surprised them with their own surprise!" Elsa frowned, feeling cheated, but bounced back quickly. "Well, we can't go see Anna right now, she's in lessons," she rolled her eyes and Anna held back a snort. One day, Elsa would actually like lessons, -or at the very least accept them- but for now they just kept her from having fun.

"Well then, do you have something else in mind?"

"Yep! I can show you around the castle and gardens! The gardens are my favorite, Anna and I always play there when it's hot."

Anna sighed, momentarily lost in memory. The gardens had always been her and Elsa's own little world. They'd had so many adventures and Anna had always asked Elsa to do something with her powers. It had been so wonderful, and Anna found herself sighing again, remembering what she'd lost.

"I didn't think the ceiling was that interesting, but we can stay here a while if you want to keep looking."

Anna was halted in her revery by Elsa's teasing voice. She looked down and smiled. "Nope, just finished. Where do you want to go first?"

A gleam flashed in Elsa's eyes as she answered, "The kitchen."

Elsa sped off, arms outstretched as though she could fly. Anna followed at a more leisurely pace, trying to sort things out.

The Trolls had said they could not help her once inside, only that she should find Elsa. Well she'd found Elsa, physically run into her, but she was a little girl.

So she had no clear direction, no assistance, and in short, no idea what she was doing. So why was Anna still here?

If the redhead was being honest, the real reason she was still following this small Elsa was because she _missed_ this Elsa, so much so that Anna was fooling herself, at least for a while, that nothing was wrong and that she could reconnect with this little ghost from her past.

But that was another thing. Why would there even be a younger version of herself in Elsa's own mind? Anna had assumed that when she found Elsa, it would be the woman she'd grown to be. Did little Anna's run around in Anna's own brain? Did they eat all the chocolate and get into trouble and dance and talk to paintings and-?

Realizing she was confusing herself, Anna shook her head and looked around for Elsa. She was about to round a corner when a streak of white appeared, whipping around said corner and colliding with her stomach. Anna let out a strangled, "unf-" and toppled backwards, a heavy weight landing on her middle.

"Sorry sorry sorry! I'm so sorry Anna. Are you okay?" Anna struggled up and met the worried blue eyes of her older sister. _Or was it younger sister?_

"I-I'm fine, just uh, took me by surprise is all. What's all the hurry for?"

Elsa crawled off Anna and looked around sheepishly. "Well, Anna gets done with her nap soon, and she's always so sleepy afterwards. So I like to leave a little plate of chocolates outside the door to wake her up. Anna _loves_ chocolate, but shh-!" said Elsa, putting a finger to Anna's lips, "She doesn't know it's me. She always thinks it's Mama or Papa."

Anna's mouth fell open. Every time she'd woken, there would always be chocolate outside her door, and sometimes a little note, but Anna had never found out who left them. The sisters would always try and guess who it was, even devising little traps to catch the culprit, but of course Elsa would have known how to disable the trap or avoid it completely.

"C'mon let's go drop these off," said Elsa, pointing to a platter that had skidded away in the crash, "then I'll take you to the gardens and show you something _really_ special." Elsa didn't elaborate, choosing instead to help Anna up and give her the plate of chocolate.

After placing the chocolates (and disabling the red paint trap), Elsa led Anna to the garden entrance. The girl spread her arms dramatically, "Here we are, the Arendelle Castle Gardens."

Anna oohed and ahhed, pretending to be wowed and basically act like she'd never been here. Though she knew every nook and cranny of the maze-like interior of the gardens, she did take a moment to appreciate the smells. The heady yet delicate aroma of each collection of flowers changed from season to season and even year to year.

"I wanted to take you to our favorite place, as long as that's alright with you," Elsa said, blushing slightly.

"Of course, lead on Royal Highness of the Flowered Palace," Anna replied with a mock bow. Elsa, stifling a giggle, bowed in return, then offered her elbow. Seeing as she was so short, Anna stretched out her hand instead and allowed Elsa to lead her about.

"Over there is the Rose Gate. Every first Sunday of the month, they change the color of the roses. But on our birthdays, they combine my and Anna's favorite colors, so the roses are blue and yellow. On the opposite side is the Concurrant Maze. It twists and turns all over the place, and all of it is covered in grape vines, so it's like walking through a woven tunnel. Anna and I get in trouble for eating the grapes off the vines, the juice stains our clothes."

Elsa looked back at Anna. Anna looked crestfallen. She'd been about to reach out and take some of the grapes from the vine, but Elsa's monologue had reminded her why she shouldn't in the first place. Elsa smiled.

"Don't worry," she whispered, "I won't tell anybody. The only rule is, you have to-,"

"Share," Anna finished. Elsa blinked in surprise and Anna mentally kicked herself.

"Uh, yeah, that's right," said Elsa, slightly put off but choosing to ignore it. She opened her hand and Anna dropped a couple of grapes in. Both girls popped the fruits into their mouths and, "Mmmed," together.

Eventually, Elsa started towards the very center of the garden.

"This is our favorite spot. Here we are!"

They were at the fountain. Anna had been told long ago that this fountain was a gift from their cousins in Corona. It was a beautiful stone sculpture of Arendelle's family crest overlaid with tiny snowflakes and flowers. Water shot from the edges and pooled into a center basin shaped like a tulip. Inside each petal was a snowflake in which the water followed it's delicate pattern until it washed into the center pool and the cycle repeated itself.

Elsa dragged Anna closer. "Anna and I like to sit right on the edge of the fountain," she said, patting the spot next to her. Anna sat down but was suddenly overcome with a deep sense of loss.

This is where they'd told stories, this is where they'd laughed.

And most importantly, this is where they could just be each other. No parents telling them to sit up straight, no servants hoping to find them, no lessons needing to be learned.

Elsa noticed her companion's quiet, but let her sit awhile longer. Only when she heard a tiny sniff and saw a single tear slide down Anna's cheek did she interrupt.

"It's okay Miss Anna," she spoke, taking Anna's hand. Anna looked down at Elsa, blue eyes filled with tears. Not trusting her voice, Anna wrapped her arms around her sister, burying her head in Elsa's hair. After a pause, she felt the girl return the hug, rubbing small circles into her back as she sobbed.

After the garden, Elsa took Anna on a full length tour of the castle, narrating all the way. They saw the library (Anna doesn't sit still long enough to read), the throne room (Papa always lets me sit on his lap), the girl's bedroom (we can't go in there, Anna's asleep), and the painting room (Anna's favorite is the woman with the sword. Can't imagine why). The only place left to go was the ballroom.

Elsa pulled Anna down for a conspiratorial whisper. "Sometimes, Anna can't go to sleep, so we sneak down here in the middle of the night and have some fun." Anna's chest constricted.

"Yeah? Um, that's nice. What kind of fun?" Elsa waggled her eyebrows.

"A special kind of fun, sisters only."

They'd reached the doorway to the ballroom. Elsa pushed forward and swung the doors open. Since it was still sunny out, the ballroom was awash with soft light. The stained glass windows threw gorgeous greens, yellows, and reds on the rich dark wood floor.

Elsa motioned for the older girl go first, but Anna hesitated. This room had too many memories, most of them bad. Elsa had eventually told Anna about the night she'd hit Anna with her powers. That was Elsa's reason for hating this room, but Anna disliked it because it was a constant reminder of Coronation day. The day had been so pleasant and the party had been wonderous.

And then everything went to hell.

Anna slowly stepped into the room. I_t was better in the sunlight_, she thought. She turned around to thank Elsa for showing her the castle.

Elsa was no where to be found.

Daylight was ripped away and the room was filled with an inky darkness. Anna, terrified, called out for Elsa.

"Elsa!? Where are you?" The was no answer. Anna sank to the ground, eyes shut, shaking with fear.

Suddenly, there was a loud creak and the darkness was cut by a large shaft of orange light. The door had been opened.

"Hello?" Anna breathed. A gasp of relief escaped her as the silhouette of young Elsa appeared in the doorframe.

"Oh Elsa it's just you. Where did you go, I was so worried." The silhouette flinched and stepped further into the light.

It was not Elsa.

No, it _was_ Elsa, but different. This girl was taller and her hair was longer.

And she was wearing _gloves_.

Elsa looked Anna up and down, then took a shaky breath.

"How do you know who I am… and why do you look like my sister?"


	6. Tarnished Feathers

**WARNING: This chapter contains a small bit of romance that may make readers uncomfortable. It's not frick frack, but it's still mildly romantic.**

Anna felt like her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth. Her brain struggled to make coherent thought, but it was failing miserably. Elsa, still standing in the doorway, gripped the frame fiercely.

"Who. Are. You?" Elsa repeated, deliberately slowing down the words so Anna could not possibly misinterpret them. Anna guessed that this Elsa was around eleven or twelve, well into the many years she'd spent in her room alone. She was wearing a dark blue jacket-skirt combo with snowflakes resting on the hem and black stockings. The white gloves on her hand were distinctly patternless.

"I-I'm Anna," she swallowed thickly, "your sister." Elsa gave a little strangled cough and her gloved fingers bit deep into the wooden doorframe. Frost began to flow out, creating delicate patterns in the grain. Elsa snatched her hand away, wide-eyed, and pressed it to her chest.

Anna saw the fear and confusion mix dangerously in her sister's eyes. She scrambled to her feet, hands out as though approaching an injured animal.

"Elsa-,"

"_Don't call me that!_" Elsa screamed. Anna flinched, stunned.

Elsa was breathing hard, breath fogging before her as the temperature plummeted. "You don't know me! And you're _NOT my sister!_"

Elsa ducked her head, still clutching her hand to her chest, and disappeared.

It took Anna nearly a full minute to realize Elsa had run away. Loss and guilt pierced her heart like twin crossbow bolts, threatening to tip her already knife-edge grip on the situation.

"Elsa! W-Wait, come back!" Anna tore out of the room, grabbing the doorframe and whipping around it to carry on down the hallway

Moonlight tinted everything blue, shadows upon darker shadows. Without actually seeing where she went, Anna knew there was only one place Elsa could be headed. Whether it was because of her longer legs or knowledge of the castle layout, Anna very nearly made it to Elsa's bedroom door -a little white braid of hair ghosting into the darkness beyond- before it was slammed viciously in her face.

"Elsa!"

"Go away," came the reply, somewhat muffled by the solid material between them. "How _dare_ you call yourself Anna! I-," The tirade abruptly broke off with a small yelp from behind the door. Not knowing the cause of it worried Anna, but she was a little grateful since she was still catching her breath.

She scraped up what little courage she had left and tried a different approach.

"Elsa, listen to me." She heard a sharp intake of breath from inside, probably a retort, but Anna rushed over her. "This may be hard to believe, but I _am_ your sister. I'm older, a lot older… It's kind of a long story, but if you'll just hear me out-,"

"No you listen to me, _'Anna'_!" Elsa's voice shook with fury. "Do you think I'm just some child you can tell lies to!? That I would be fool enough to believe anything someone told me!? You _can't_ be Anna, so you're _not_ Anna. _SO GO AWAY!_"

Anna couldn't breathe. There was a ringing in her ears and her voice seemed to have abandoned her. She'd never heard so much anger, so much _pure hate_ from anyone, especially not her sister, and never directed at herself. Panic rose up within her.

She was drowning, floundering in a world she did not belong in, trying to fight an enemy she couldn't name, and her only line of help had torn her heart apart and crushed it to dust.

All her life she'd been loved, had someone there to pick up the pieces.

Now she had no one; not even an invisible sister behind an impenetrable door who never answered back.

The redhead heard but did not feel her knees hit the ground. The white and blue snowflakes on the door began to blur as tears flooded her vision. They fell silently, darkening the wood beneath her. But she _needed_ to get to this girl, even if it meant hurting herself even more.

She pressed her forehead to the rough wood that had blocked her, blocked her _everything_, for too many years. Closing her eyes, she reached deep, pushing away all the darkness in her mind until one tiny spec was uncovered. Anna clung to it: the one and only thing she'd ever cared about.

A face formed in her mind, the very special person that had kept Anna going through the years, clear and distinct. She spoke the person's name aloud.

"Elsa?" She took a deep breath, knowing it was crazy, knowing it had failed countless times.

"Do you want to build a snowman?"

A large heavy impact rattled the door in it's frame and slammed Anna's face away from it.

"Ouch! What the-?" Anna rubbed her brow vigorously. A tiny click stopped her, but her hand was covering her eyes.

She slowly lowered her hand.

Elsa stood behind a crack in the doorway no more than an inch wide, hand resting on the edge. She just stared at Anna, a mixture of confusion and, amazingly, trust, in her young face.

"You're really her?," she whispered. Anna simply nodded. "No one else… she was the only one who ever asked me that."

Elsa opened the door a bit wider and stretched out her hand. Anna didn't move, not completely believing what was happening. Her sister took a tentative step forward, her shoe just barely touching the wooden floor outside her room, and lightly took Anna's arm.

"You should come in… Anna. We need to talk."

"So let me see if I understand all of this," Elsa said. The sisters were sitting quietly, Elsa on her bed and Anna on the chair that matched the writing desk. Anna had found out the sharp impact that had knocked her back from the door had been ice spikes that had exploded outwards from Elsa. Anna's question had deeply shaken the girl.

Elsa had apologized, but became confused. She forgot the Anna _she_ knew wasn't supposed to know she had powers at all, so she tried to take the apology back, -thinking she'd ruined her secret- then give it back again. She had gotten very flustered, which Anna couldn't help but find extremely adorable, so she'd wrapped Elsa in a big hug. The girl had been fidgety about it at first, but eventually relented and let it happen. She'd given a slight cough after a bit, and Anna had let go of her. Elsa had prompted Anna to tell her, in as few words as possible, how she'd gotten here.

"You are Princess Anna of Arendelle. _The_ Arendelle, as opposed to where we are right now, which is... Arendelle… in Elsa's mind. You came here to help your sister who's been having strange blackouts at night through a portal made by the Trolls, which does not seem to be visible to anyone on this side of the spell, the exception being you. Correct so far?" Elsa looked up at Anna for confirmation, then continued when Anna nodded. "You almost immediately ran into… Elsa. A younger one that is. She took you around the castle, through the gardens, then back to the ball room. Then it got… How did you describe it?"

"Like someone doused the sun as though it were a candle, then hope walked in the door only to stab a needle through my heart." There was a pause. Elsa cleared her throat.

"...Yes, that. And now you're here. I have the strange urge to say 'fascinating', so I will. Fascinating."

"But what happened to her? The younger version of… you, I guess." Elsa sighed and looked out the large triangle shaped window in her bedroom. There wasn't much to see, even though the moon was up. Without looking back at Anna, Elsa spoke.

"She's not me. Not in the way you'd think. She disappeared because that is where she ended," she smiled ruefully, "and I began.

"If we're trying to be accurate, allow me to explain it this way. She and I are different parts of Elsa, different stages of her personality you could say. That little girl was Elsa for her earliest years." Elsa's gaze moved from the window to her gloved hands. "After the-, accident, that little girl ceases to be, replaced by myself. If that little girl tries to set one foot in that ballroom, she vanishes, almost like a ghost." Elsa looked back to Anna. The redhead was struggling to understand all of this but was also saddened to hear about it. Elsa decided to give her some good news.

"That young Elsa hasn't been seen in a long time. In fact, she shouldn't have been able to reappear at all.

"But someone," she smiled at Anna, "showed the real Elsa love, not only showed it to her, but helped her give it _back_. That is why this youngest version of Elsa is able to exist. You loved her."

Anna smiled back sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders. "How could I not?" Elsa raised an eyebrow but did not comment. Anna on the other hand, had a burning question.

"So how is it that you're so… calm about not being real?" The question was rushed, Anna cringing slightly, praying that it wasn't insulting. Elsa surprised both of them by throwing back her head and letting go a sharp peal of laughter. It was light and airy, so different than her dark exterior, and it cut through the air like bird song. _It feels good,_ Elsa realized. She composed herself before answering Anna's question.

"I've always known I wasn't real. The Elsa you know is real of course, but you told me yourself that you have entered into her dream, her mind, to look for her true self. I'm solid, but I couldn't step through the portal you came through. I cannot exist in that world because Elsa is already grown, past me." She paused. "Does that make sense?"

Anna had no idea what she was talking about, but she made an affirmative sound nonetheless. Elsa smiled a little, hiding it behind her hand. Anna stood up, shifting nervously.

"Can I, um, that is, would you mind if I…," she spread her arms imploringly. Elsa hesitated, but nodded. Anna closed the distance between them and took Elsa in her arms, talking into her hair.

"I know you don't like to be touched. I know you're not real. But that doesn't mean I love you any less Elsa. Thank you for helping me." The girl trembled slightly and Anna could feel cold spreading between them, but she simply hugged Elsa tighter.

She let go after a while, keeping her hands on Elsa's shoulders. There was wetness on Elsa's cheeks but she rubbed it away quickly.

"Now, there's the 'small' matter of finding _your_ Elsa." Anna looked down at her sister.

"Do you know what I should do?"

"Not specifically, but I know where to go to find out more." She looked Anna straight in the eye. "The blackouts are not only affecting the real Elsa, there have been strange things that have been happening here as well. Almost like a presence has been coming and going, just as the Trolls described to you. I just feel like it's been watching me and… making the sky change." She gestured towards the window. Even though it had been the middle of the night a few minutes ago, it was now a bright summer day. "Time has always been strange here, but never to such a startling degree. Almost as if-," but she broke herself off. Elsa hopped off the bed and went to the door. She opened it, hesitating a moment before taking a step outside. The blonde turned back to Anna and gave an apologetic smile.

"It's always hard to leave the room. I've gotten better at it, but I was here for so long…" She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Please, this way. I'm going to take you somewhere we can get some answers."

They spent the next half hour walking around the castle and opening doors to random rooms. Elsa seemed to be looking for something but did not explain what it was. They even came back to Elsa's room, opened the door, peered inside, then shut it again and walked on. Elsa started muttering to herself after the sixth door had been open and shut with no indication of success.

"...more freedom than I but still… can only be in a few places- Ah! Here we go!"

Both girls stood in front of the throne room. The large double doors were simultaneously inviting and imposing, decorated with the Arendelle family crest and other assorted markings like the Sovereign's Orb and Sceptre that Elsa had had during the coronation.

Anna took a step forward and reached for the handle, but Elsa put up a hand, suddenly all business.

"You'd better wait here," she said, blushing slightly, "not that you'd mess it up… I mean, ah, it's just that, um…" Elsa took a deep breath. Anna kind of liked, but was a little shocked by, this side of Elsa. She hadn't known Elsa could get this worked up and trip over her own words.

"I just think it would be best. She gets nervous."

Anna barely had time to repeat blankly, "She?," before Elsa slipped into the throne room and shut the door. Anna waited a few moments, toying with the idea of entering the room anyway without Elsa, but decided against it. Thankfully she didn't have to wait long.

Elsa's small frame pushed the door open a crack and beckoned Anna forward, though she stopped her from entering the room right away. She turned and spoke behind and above her.

"Are you ready? It's alright, she's not going to hurt you." A brief pause. "And you're not going to hurt her."

Elsa ever started to push the door open farther with one hand, even though the door was very heavy. It suddenly became easier and Elsa flashed a smile upwards but not at Anna. Not that the redhead would have been able to respond anyway. Anna stared, dumbstruck at what appeared before her.

Elsa had only used one hand to push open the door because her other hand was firmly enclosed in someone else's. That other person had been the one to help Elsa open the door when it became too much for the girl. Now she stood with her hand protectively on Elsa's shoulder, looking anywhere but Anna. In turn, Anna could not look away from her.

_There was another Elsa._

Anna's mind raced to process this second (wait, third?) Elsa. She was much taller, actually surpassing Anna in height. She must have been around seventeen, white hair tucked back in a tight bun behind her head, wearing the dark blue dress with black lines and white gloves she'd worn the day their parents had left for the voyage at sea from which they'd never returned. Her gaze had finally fixed itself on the floor between her toes, looking more than a little scared and most definitely nervous.

Smaller Elsa kept looking between the two women. Seeing this was going nowhere, she squeezed the elder Elsa's hand gently, prompting her to look up. Older Elsa finally met Anna's clear blue eyes with her diamond ones.

"Hi…," Anna whispered. Elsa tucked a non-existent hair behind her ear.

"Hello," she replied. Anna looked to the younger, hoping hoping for some kind of guidance. Elsa shook her head and led the older one back inside, waving a hand behind her to indicate Anna should follow.

"What on earth is going on?" Anna asked herself. She followed the girls in without another word, closing the door behind her.

They all got situated, opting to sit on the floor as none of them dared to sit on the thrones. Anna sat slightly below them on the steps leading up to the royal chairs, deciding that this was their domain and it should be treated with respect. Little Elsa had placed herself on older Elsa's lap, lending comfort and support through her presence. The elder was quiet, but always had a hand somewhere on the girl's body: her shoulder, her hair, little gestures that leant her own wordless support to the girl. After several minutes of silence, Anna spoke up.

"Based on what happened earlier, I have to say I'm confused." Younger and older Elsa alike blinked at her in surprise.

"How is it there are two of you? Doesn't one disappear when the other's time 'ends', or when two try to be in the same place?" Young Elsa opened her mouth to answer, but the older blonde placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"I… I understand your confusion," the young woman began. "Can I assume you are speaking of our youngest self? She disappeared in the ballroom didn't she?" Anna confirmed that to be true. "As my younger self here may have already explained to you, that little girl is something of an enigma. She pops into existence every once in a while, then vanishes the second she gets to the ballroom because that's where…," she trailed off, eyes half closed. Young Elsa looked into the older's eyes, the same sadness mirrored in both. Anna understood it must be difficult to talk about so she gave them their space.

The elder blonde sighed then continued.

"That little girl goes away because she no longer existed after that night. She was replaced with you," she bounced her knee a little, making Young Elsa crack a wan smile. "The difference here is this: _this_ younger Elsa grew up to be me. She didn't change much; in fact the only reason I've suspected I exist at all is because our parents-," she choked a bit, throat suddenly thick, "died.

"It left a large enough impact on Elsa's soul that I became separate from this younger girl, even though we are practically the same person. That's why I believe we are able to exist in the same place."

Young Elsa hugged the older blonde appreciatively. She hadn't heard the young woman talk for so long about one subject in forever, especially not to anyone besides herself. Older Elsa hugged back, closing her eyes and simply enjoying the contact.

Anna got up and started pacing. Even though they had both been 'born' from personal tragedy, she was glad the two Elsa's had each other, unlike her real sister who'd always been alone. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts and tackle the matter at hand.

Her pacing had led her to one of the many bookshelves that lined the throne room. Their Father had always thought it important to show that Arendelle's wealth lied not just in it's resources, but in it's knowledge; though their Mother had always joked it was just because books made people more comfortable.

Anna heard young Elsa telling her older self everything that had happened so far. It was a lot shorter than Anna's version of events, what with the blackouts, horseback riding, and entering of the dream reduced to a few short sentences. She did however, linger on Anna's encounter with the youngest Elsa and her consequential meeting with the younger blonde herself. The oldest just nodded, like she was storing the information away.

"So what do you think Elsa?" The blonde girl looked expectantly at the older woman. The elder tapped a finger on her knee, obviously gathering her thoughts.

"I too have felt this strange presence. After what you have told me about the Trolls, it seems clear that something is looking through Elsa's past." Anna straightened from her position by the bookcase, making it creak.

"Wait, why do you say that?"

"Think about it. Both the younger version of myself and I have felt a sort of… searching feeling around us. We have ignored it for the most part, imagining that Elsa herself was doing a bit of literal soul searching." Anna was a bit stuck on the fact that imaginary people could imagine things, but kept listening. "Now we can say this is not the case. It's not Elsa, but an outside being looking through her memories. I believe this also explains the sky. While time does function a little differently in here, when the sun rises and sets it still indicates one day. But there have been more days and nights than normal in the past few weeks.

"Most importantly though: there has been a time recently in which the sun has raced _backwards_ through the sky. Something is not only searching through memories, but is looking at one particularly closely, backtracking if you will, to see something over and over."

Anna felt the weight that had been removed in the meeting of the two Elsa's settle itself back on her shoulders. _Something was looking at Elsa. Something not_ right. She felt her knees weaken and she slumped against the bookcase behind her.

Many things happened at once.

The wood of the bookcase, old and tired, gave way to Anna's weight. Both Elsa's yelled her name and the older one shot a hand out, even though they were several body lengths apart. Anna's forehead felt cold for an instant, but the feeling went away in a heartbeat. She ended up sitting on the floor staring, dazed at the thick wall of ice that was suddenly the only thing she could see.

"-nna!" The sound was muffled. Two humanoid shapes moved beyond the barrier of the ice. The smaller one kept making gestures with it's arms. It turned to the taller one, making the same movements, before the taller figure waved it's own arms.

The ice melted away. Younger Elsa had her hands over her mouth looking absolutely terrified. Older Elsa, breathing hard, was slowly lowering her shaking hands. Anna blinked.

"You're alive…," Young Elsa murmured breathlessly behind her hands. Anna tried to respond but found she couldn't. She looked around, trying to figure out what happened.

Around her were the remains of the bookshelves but that wasn't what caught her attention. Not even a foot away was the shattered bust of a long forgotten ruler. Memory clicked in and Anna remembered this stone statue had sat atop the bookcase.

"Anna! Y-you're-," the young Elsa stammered. Anna looked down at herself.

Surely it must be a trick of the light; or maybe that bust really _had_ hit her in the head. She held her hands up to her face.

Anna could see through her hands.

Not much, just a bit, almost like she'd _faded_ a little. But when she put her hands together, they felt solid enough. Thoroughly confused, Anna turned a questioning glance at the younger Elsa, still finding herself unable to speak.

"You were… falling, and I just-, I couldn't do anything and the stone was going to hit you, _hurt you_, but…," she stopped. The older Elsa, still trembling, picked up the threads of explanation.

"I saw the bust and in an instant, I knew it was going to hit you, and I just, _reacted_." Elsa stared at her hands, then drew a shaky breath, "I hit you… with them, with my powers. I only wanted to block the stone, but I missed-," her brows furrowed in confusion. "But it… _vanished_ into you. And in that moment you seemed to, not be all there. Then the ice wall came up to cover you and stop the bust, breaking it."

During the explaining, the color had returned to Anna's hands and body, making her whole again. She gave a little cough, to see if she actually could, then looked both Elsa's in the eye.

"Oooooo-kay. Um, that was interesting. I'm alright, really." She stood up and patted herself down. "I felt cold on my forehead, but it went away so quickly that I didn't think anything of it." The redhead approached the older Elsa and folded the girl's hands in her own warm ones. The blonde flinched at her touch, making Anna's heart thump painfully.

"Hey, look at me." Elsa's eyes remained lowered. Anna huffed.

"_Please?_"

Elsa slowly met her gaze. "I'm fine Elsa. You were just trying to protect me, just like you always do. So please, don't worry about-. What are you looking at?"

Elsa, though already having a fair complexion, was paper white. Anna tried to follow her eyes, only to realize Elsa was staring at something above her head. Elsa hesitantly reached up and ran a finger through Anna's hair, right above her forehead. Then she started rubbing it franticly. _Please make it go away, please _please_ go away!_ Elsa's mind was screaming at her. _What have you done? It's happening again! It's all your fault!_

Anna stopped Elsa's hand with her own, pulling it down gently. A few hairs followed the motion.

They were pure white.

"You hit me… your powers, forehead, white hair!" Anna whipped around to Young Elsa and questioned her, knowing the answer but needing to hear it.

"My hair's turning white, isn't it?"

The girl nodded, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Why? I mean, you didn't hit my heart."

"I know," the older Elsa spoke, voice uncharacteristically hard. She turned to her younger self. "You told me that when Anna went through the spell she saw the Trolls carrying a body, her body, on the other side, correct? I can't believe I didn't see it earlier. Anna, this accident never should have happened." Anna tried to disagree, not wanting the older girl to blame herself, but Elsa simply ignored her. She drew herself up to her full height.

"Take me to the spell. Now."

"What? Why? You can't even see it!" Elsa's blue eyes sparked, though with anger or determination, Anna didn't know.

"Then you'll just have to confirm it for me."

They reached the spell without any other incident. All of the people were mysteriously gone: no villagers, shopkeepers, or boats men anywhere. Neither Elsa offered an explanation.

"We're here," Anna said. Young Elsa looked around, disappointed she couldn't see the spell. Anna still wasn't sure how either blonde could miss it. The spell, or 'window', was taller than her and wider than both girls, even with their arms stretched as far as they would go.

"What am I looking for?" The older blonde shook her head.

"I'm not exactly sure. Just.. check on the other you." Puzzled but trusting the woman's judgement, Anna looked through the spell.

A few Trolls waved at her, and she waved back, but most of the Trolls' attention was focused somewhere else entirely. Anna could see Pabbie and a large number of Trolls gathered around something. Pabbie was notified by another Troll and turned to face the spell, revealing the thing that had held his attention.

Anna gasped and stumbled forward before feeling an iron grip clamp onto her wrist, stopping her from leaving the dream. She struggled uselessly before the elder Elsa, who'd caught her, pulled her back and wrapped her arms tightly around her. Anna buried her head in Elsa's neck and sobbed, broken sentences describing what she had seen. Elsa's heart plummeted with every syllable, devastated that she had to be right.

"They had-, I was-, white hair and blood, gods Elsa there was _blood!_ Hurt, how-!? I don't und-understand!"

Elsa grit her teeth, knowing a misplaced word might melt Anna's resolve like a snowflake in summer.

"A-Anna. I'm sorry. I may know what's going on, but I need you to listen, okay?" She took Anna's hiccuping breaths as an indication to continue. "When you entered the spell, it wasn't your body that came in, but your _spirit_. Your true body collapsed, empty, so to speak, and the Trolls have been watching it. But your spirit and your body are still connected which is probably why you can see the spell.

"The Trolls told you that you could _die_ in here. I… I think that if you get hurt in here, your body gets the same sort of damage out there. Get hurt badly enough…," she couldn't finish the thought.

"..."

"What was that?" Elsa asked.

"But I still have to find her."

Elsa's breath caught in her throat. She grabbed Anna's shoulders and held the redhead slightly away from her so she could look into her face. "Anna! You can't go after your true sister, don't you see? There's something _wrong_ in here. You could die!"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER!" Anna yelled in her face. "_YOU, ALL OF YOU_, MATTER TO ME!" Anna fiercely took the blonde's own shoulders. "I came in here to find my sister and help free her from the blackouts. I found more than that. You say that my body and spirit are connected, fine, but I say that my spirit and _Elsa's_ spirit are connected too. I can't leave her anymore than you or your younger self or that tiny little carefree girl of the past could leave me stranded in here alone. I _will_ go after her. It's _my_ turn to protect _you_."

Elsa was numb; her younger self, speechless. Anna panted, exhausted at her little tirade.

"Please, I need to get to her." The older Elsa couldn't speak, so both the blonde and Anna were surprised when Young Elsa's voice washed over them.

"Then you will.

"This place is a dream. Elsa and I have control over where we are in here. That's why we had such a hard time finding _you_," waving a hand at her older self, "because we can sort of… travel from place to place without actually walking there." She tried to elaborate.

"If we think of a place in this world in our heads, then imagine ourselves there, it will simply… happen.

"Elsa, have you been thinking about where Anna's true sister might be?" The older girl gave the tiniest of nods. "The North Mountain. That's where the sun and light has been the strangest. More suns have risen and set in the time frame of what I believe you call The Great Thaw than any other time in Elsa's history." The blondes took a breath, then spoke together.

"We believe _that_ is where you will find your sister."

Anna glanced back and forth between the Elsa's. The younger one looked determined, and despite her smaller size, seemed more confident than Anna could ever remember seeing her sister. The older Elsa had the air of a person in strife but she too stepped forward with her head held high.

"And you can take me there?" Anna whispered. The two girls looked at each other.

"As I was describing before," the younger one replied, "we can go nearly anywhere we want just by imagining ourselves there. But there are restrictions. We have never been to the palace at the North Mountains, and any place we have not been, we cannot go. But we can see the palace by looking through the real Elsa's memories, for they are also ours." The older blonde took over.

"We believe that together we will be able to send you, Anna, to the North Mountain, but we will not be able to accompany you. You will be alone, and there will be nothing we can do about it." The words had a familiar ring to it and Anna remembered that the Trolls had told her the very same thing. She smirked.

"Let's do it!"

Both Elsa's moved towards each other and clasped their hands together. After a moment, a soft white light began to radiate from between their hands. It became brighter and brighter, and Anna was forced to turn away.

"Anna." The redhead turned back. The light had diminished but not disappeared. The younger Elsa had her eyes closed, concentrating, but the older blonde had her hand out. "Take my hand. We've found the palace in Elsa's memories, but it's… hard to hang onto." Anna took the outstretched hand. Elsa was cool to the touch, just as she had always been. A deep thrumming filled the air and Anna clasped Elsa's hand tighter.

"I love you," Elsa said a little spontaneously, "we both do." Anna smiled.

"I never doubted it."

"Close your eyes." Anna did.

Elsa's lips met hers. It was a quick and simple one. Surprised, Anna's eyes flew open and she mumbled into the kiss.

"Elsa…"

Snow covered peaks and chilly winds surrounded her. Elsa was gone, replaced by the Ice Palace.

She had arrived at the North Mountain.

A soul-splintering scream rent the air. Anna was moving before she knew what was happening. She charged up the icy steps to the palace two at a time. The scream came again, rocking Anna to the core. Maybe if Anna yelled it loud enough, the person in so much anguish would hear her name and it would drown out the fear.

Worth a shot.

Anna filled her lungs with air, then shouted with all her might as another wail came from the Palace.

"_ELSA!_"


End file.
